Group worries ferrochrome facility would put Sudbury drinking water at risk

From job creation to economic spin-offs, there could be plenty of benefits if the City of Greater Sudbury is selected as the site for Noront's proposed ferrochrome smelter.

But one group is again voicing concerns about the potential negative effects such a facility could have to the city's drinking water and health of citizens.

Around 35 people from the group No Ferrochrome Sudbury held an information protest Tuesday in Wahnapitae.

They're concerned the location of the city's bid to host the Noront facility, in Coniston, is too close to the city's nearby water treatment plant on the Wanapitei River, which they say provides drinking water to 60 per cent of Greater Sudbury's population.

Pat Rogerson says the modest research done so far on a smelting by-product called hexavelent chromium, or chromium-6, suggests even tiny traces of the chemical might be carcinogenic.

"I really feel it's important that we take a stand while we still have a chance to avoid this kind of contamination in our water or our community," says Rogerson.

The group has put together a collectively curated website bringing together research and articles available on the subject.

Rogerson adds their objective isn't to impede economic development and job creation.

"If we're going to mine [chromite], we should be isolating all this activity to one space, and not transporting it any more than we have to," she says. "We shouldn't be trying to fix it afterward, we should be avoiding the problem where possible."

'No-brainer'

No Ferrochrome Sudbury spokesperson, Kate Kearney, says she's worried that residents, and perhaps even the politicians and industry, don't know enough about how by-products of chromium might affect human health.

"There's such a massive gap in research as to what is safe, regarding this industry," notes Kearney.

"I think we want the city, the province, certainly the federal government to ensure citizens are engaged in the process when we are talking about bringing new industries into cities, and I think we need to be making better decisions when it comes to our environment.

"This for us seems like a no-brainer."

Four contenders, one smelter

Noront says it plans to speak to the four communities bidding for the smelter in mid-July. Those cities are Timmins, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

In an email, a Noront spokesperson says the company won't discuss individual bids until those meetings take place.

The City of Greater Sudbury states that if its proposed Coniston site is selected, an environmental assessment and community consultation will still be required before the province allows the facility to operate.

"The City respects the right to peaceful protests," states a spokesperson via email. "With support from community partners including Wahnapitae First Nation and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, our bid package was submitted to Noront Resources in February 2018.  Noront Resources will be announcing its decision, once their analysis process is complete."